Florida Gators, LSU Tigers Football Game In Jeopardy, Could Impact Final SEC Standings

GATORS HOST MISSOURI SATURDAY

ABOVE VIDEO:Coach McElwain address the media on Monday about Saturday’s postponement vs. LSU and what’s ahead for the Florida Gators

(FLORIDA GATORS) – LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said Monday he has no intention of moving his program’s football game against Florida to Nov. 19 and thus giving up a home game at Tiger Stadium.

The Gators and Tigers were supposed to play at Spurrier-Florida Field last Saturday, but the game was postponed two days earlier due to the threat of Hurricane Matthew.

The notion the game could be moved to that Nov. 19 date is one of several scenarios that have been floated by the media, given that both teams will have non-conference opponents scheduled.

Florida plays Presbyterian, while LSU hosts South Alabama on that date. The two schools or the SEC could pay the buyouts to the two opponents for those games to clear the way for the Gators and Tigers to play.

Alleva, though, made it clear in a news conference Monday he does not want to give up a home game for his team and fans.

“One thing we’re going to hold very firm on is that we have a home game on Nov. 19 and we’re going to have a home game on Nov. 19. We are going to have a home game on Nov. 19.

“We’re not going to change that situation,” Alleva said. “It’s a tough situation. It’s a very tough situation to reschedule this game. We’ll have to see how it shakes out down the road.”

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, in a prepared statement issued Monday afternoon, reiterated that UF would work with the league in hopes of finding a solution.

“We understand the importance of playing this game and we want to play this game,” Foley said. “We continue to work with the SEC and LSU to make that happen.”

The significance of the game — both for the two teams and across the SEC — went up a notch over the weekend when Texas A&M defeated Tennessee in a battle of league unbeatens. No one wants to see a division winner decided because one program played fewer league games than another.

The SEC released a statement clarifying that cancelling, postponing or terminating a game could only be done by the league commissioner.

“The presidents and athletics directors from Florida and LSU agreed on Thursday that the schools and SEC Office would make every effort to find a scheduling solution to their postponed game,” Commissioner Greg Sankey said.